Journal box brass retaining spring



Feb. 28, 1956 c. WATSON 2,736,618

JOURNAL BOX BRASS RETAINING SPRING Filed Feb. 16, 1954 IN VEN T OR.

CZavde Wizzaorz I ATTCI RN EYS United States Patent JOURNAL BOX BRASS RETAINING SPRING Claude Watson, Danville, Ill.

Application February 16, 1954, Serial No. 410,641

1 Claim. (Cl. 308-53) This invention relates to journal boxes of railway cars, and in particular a spring formed of flat material and adapted to be positioned between the brass on the upper side of a journal and the wedge or key positioned in the upper part of the journal box whereby upward and downward movement of the brass caused by vibrations, shocks, and the like and which often results in waste working in under the brass is substantially eliminated, the spring urging the brass against the surface of the journal continuously.

With the conventional type of railway journal box particularly as illustrated in Patents #1,05 8,060 and 2,490,314 the brass, which is positioned on the upper surface of the journal is provided with a horizontally disposed surface at the center with sloping surfaces at the sides and this surface, which is substantially one-half of a hexagon nests in a corresponding area in the under surface of the wedge and without means for urging the brass downwardly the brass jumps away from the surface of the journal when a wheel strikes a rail joint or an obstruction on a rail and waste works into the space between the brass and journal causing a hot box. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a substantially flat spring positioned in the horizontal area between the brass and wedge with the depending sections at the sides of the wedge retaining the spring in position and whereby the brass is resiliently urged against the surface of the journal continuously.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for incorporating a spring in a railway journal box whereby the spring urges the brass against the surface of the journal continuously.

Another object of the invention is to provide resilient means in a railway car journal box for urging the brass against the journal that is adapted to be inserted in journal boxes now in use without changing the design or arrangement of the elements of the box.

A further object of the invention is to provide resilient means in a railway car journal box for holding the brass against the journal in which the resilient means is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a spring formed of a strip of fiat material having an arcuate body with a flange at one end, the spring being adapted to be inserted in the area between a brass and a wedge of a journal box with the flange at the inner end of the brass nested in the flange of the spring.

2,736,618 Patented Feb. 28, 1956 Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a journal box of a railway car truck showing the spring of this invention between the brass and wedge and also showing the spring in the flat position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the operation of the spring wherein with the brass and wedge separated such as by a wheel of the axle striking an obstruction the spring expands urging the brass against the journal.

Eigure 3 is a detail showing a perspective view of the spring.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the journal box brass retaining spring of this invention includes an arcuate body 10 having a transversely disposed flange 11 extended from a web 12 extended upwardly from the end, and, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the arcuate body 10 is positioned between a brass 13 positioned on the upper surface of the journal 14 and a wedge 15 positioned against the under surface of the top 16 of a journal box 17.

By this means the spring is positioned whereby a lip 18 on the inner end of the brass 13 nests in a recess formed below the flange 11 whereby the spring is retained in position and urges the brass toward the journal with upward and downward movements.

The brass is retained in position laterally by the depending sections at the edges of the wedge as shown in Fig. 2 of Patent #1,058,060 and also in Fig. 2 of Patent #2,490,314.

By this means the brass is urged continuously against the upper surface of the journal so that waste from the lower part of the journal box will not work in below the brass, and cause a hot box.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of the appended claim, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A journal box comprising a housing, a wedge positioned against the under surface of the upper part of the housing, a brass having a raised lip on one end positioned below the wedge, a fiat spring having an arcuate intermediate portion positioned between the wedge and brass, and a flange on one end of said spring engaging the lip on said brass for retaining the spring in position between said wedge and said brass.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,757,406 Bagnall May 6, 1930 1,907,808 Herr May 9, 1933 2,505,605 Coake Apr. 25, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,378 Australia Oct. 23, 1928 

